State law allows local cities and towns to pass regulations that prohibit offenders convicted of felony sex crimes with children 14 or younger from living within 750 feet of a school or park.

"I wanted to tell them that I don't think it's right that they are going to boost me out of my neighborhood,” McKeown said. “It's my mother's house. I'll probably die in that house. I don't think it's fair. I think these people should give me a chance.”

The ordinance is not retroactive and the more than 70 registered sex offenders in Biddeford will not have to move.

Wednesday, City Councilor Bob Mills said as a parent of two he is concerned about registered sex offenders living near children.

"I'm uncomfortable with the temptation that they may have being around my kids and other kids,” Mills said.

Chief Edward Googins of the South Portland Police Department said the ordinance in his city is working.

"If you look at the map, there's a significant portion of the city where they can live,” Googins said.

Googins said the ordinance is aimed to protect potential victims.

"I look at it as, it's our community's expectation and whether or not it's proven to produce recidivism or not, fortunately recidivism does not occur a lot, but it does happen,” Googins said.

The chief said there have been no problems with offenders, and most did not live near schools or parks before the ordinance took effect.

"There also is now an understanding now, if you will, that a registered sex offender will not be living, overlooking, if you will, schools or parks,” he said.

Representatives from the ACLU of Maine, who have criticized similar ordinances, were not available Wednesday. They previously told WMTW News 8 that the ordinances create a false sense of security and that the vast majority of sex offenses are committed by adults known to children, not strangers.